Highlights of the February Board of Trustees Meeting
On Thursday, February 9, in a growing tradition under President Wim Wiewel’s leadership, gifts totaling $3 million were announced at the Board of Trustees dinner at Cooley House. Wiewel announced that Life Trustee Beth Miller had committed a $1.5 million planned gift to the comprehensive campaign and that Patrick Nielson BA ’71 and his wife, Dorris, who were in attendance, had pledged $1 million to the campaign. Trustee Craig MacLeod, father of Christopher MacLeod BA ’11, announced that he and his wife, Carrie, were making a $500,000 gift. Acknowledging the generosity of the trustees, Wiewel said, “It is a wonderful feeling to be able to share this progress.”
The gifts were a fitting prelude to the Board’s unanimous approval of a resolution to undertake a $155 million dollar campaign over the next seven years. In the plenary session, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Josh Walter presented the work that had been completed so far to prepare for and begin Lewis & Clark’s first comprehensive campaign in over 20 years. More than $18 million has already been raised since June 1, 2017, the date when campaign accounting began.
While many details are yet to be developed in the planning process, the campaign will include support for the Annual Fund and endowment support for scholarships, faculty, initiatives, and facilities for all three schools. This will also be an opportunity to increase participation and engagement among alumni, parents, and the larger community. Now in a quiet phase, the campaign may launch publicly as soon as 2020, with an anticipated completion date of 2024.
In another unanimous vote the trustees moved to divest from all fossil fuel holdings in the endowment. Passing the resolution after multiyear conversations and study, the trustees affirmed that Lewis & Clark could simultaneously meet the critical objectives of best-in-class endowment management as well as environmental leadership. “This is the right direction, this is the right way for us to go,” said Trustee Amy L. Miller BA ’80.
The plenary session on Friday also saw a presentation by Sasaki Group on campus master planning, still in progress, that will set a course for our physical environment for years to come. An executive session on Thursday included discussion of strategic planning, including the draft vision, purpose, and values statements, as well as goals and priorities that will soon be shared with the wider community for feedback.
The 2018-19 schedule of tuition, fees, and other charges was approved by the Board. Tuition increases are as follows: 4 percent in the College of Arts and Sciences, 3 percent in the Graduate School of Education and Counseling, and 3 percent in the School of Law. The overall institutional budget is scheduled for approval at the May board meeting.
With commencements approaching, the trustees approved honorary degrees for Maria Hinojosa, who will address degree recipients in the College of Arts and Sciences; Manivong Ratts, who will address degree recipients in the Graduate School of Education; and the Honorable Anna Jaeger Brown JD ’80, who will be honored at Law School commencement ceremonies. The board also passed resolutions granting faculty emeritus status to retiring faculty Jane Atkinson in the College of Arts and Sciences, to John Grant and Elaine Sutherland in the law school, and to Tod Sloan in the graduate school.
On Wednesday evening, trustees in town enjoyed dinner with College of Arts and Sciences faculty at the Gregg Pavilion. Friday’s lunch was with students from all three schools. A number of trustees joined Wim and Alice Wiewel at the annual Alumni Honors Banquet on Friday evening honoring Pamplin Professor Emeritus of History Stephen Dow Beckham, Carol Timm BA ’87, David Norse-Thomas BA ’08, and Brian Lindstrom BA ’84.
